How to transcribe audio into text: 10 apps to make your job easier

Transcribing audio into text can be a challenging task, but with the advance of technology, there are many tools available to make this process easier. Whether you're transcribing an interview, a meeting or any other type of recording, relying on specialized applications can save you time and effort. 

How do I transcribe audio into text?

Transcribing audio into text is a valuable skill in a variety of contexts, from transcribing interviews and meetings to creating subtitles for videos. However, this task can be time-consuming and challenging, especially when dealing with large volumes of audio. Fortunately, with the advance of technology, a number of tools and applications have emerged to facilitate this process, offering automated and precise solutions.

1. Google Docs (for Web and Mobile)

Google Docs, a widely known and used tool, offers a simple and effective solution for transcribing audio into text in both the web version and mobile applications. The real-time voice transcription functionality is a valuable addition to the Google Docs feature set, making it a popular choice for those who need to transcribe audio quickly and accurately.

When using Google Docs for audio transcription, users can simply open an existing document or create a new one, access the "Tools" menu and select the "Type by voice" option. Once activated, the feature allows users to start speaking and the corresponding text will be automatically generated in the document in real time. This eliminates the need to manually type the audio content, saving time and effort.

One of the significant advantages of Google Docs' voice transcription feature is its accuracy. Although not perfect, Google's speech recognition algorithm is quite advanced and is able to accurately capture most spoken words. What's more, as Google Docs is a cloud-based tool, documents and transcriptions can be easily accessed and shared across different devices and platforms.

2. Microsoft Word (for Web and Mobile)

Microsoft Word, one of the world's most popular word processing tools, offers a real-time audio-to-text transcription feature, available in both the web version and mobile applications. This functionality is a welcome addition to Word's feature set, making it a convenient choice for those who need to transcribe audio quickly and efficiently.

To use the audio transcription feature in Microsoft Word, users can open an existing document or create a new one and access the "Home" tab. Then simply click on the "Dictation" option, located in the "Dictation" group of tools on the "Home" tab. Once activated, the feature allows users to start speaking and the corresponding text will be automatically generated in the document in real time.

The main advantage of Microsoft Word's audio transcription feature is its seamless integration with the Microsoft Office environment. As part of the Office 365 suite, users can easily access their audio transcriptions on different devices and platforms, ensuring a consistent and fluid user experience.

3. Otter Voice Meeting Notes (for Web and Mobile)

Otter Voice Meeting Notes is a tool specialized in transcribing meetings and conversations in real time, available both on the web and in mobile applications. This application stands out for its ability to offer accurate and organized transcriptions, making it a popular choice among professionals who need to document and follow up on important discussions.

One of Otter's distinctive features is its advanced voice recognition technology, which is specially optimized to accurately capture dialogues in meeting and discussion environments. The application is able to identify and distinguish the voices of different participants, assigning them to the respective interlocutors in the transcripts, which facilitates understanding and later reference.

In addition to real-time audio transcription, Otter offers additional features, such as the ability to highlight important points during the recording, insert notes and comments into the transcript text and even share the transcripts with others. This makes Otter a versatile tool not only for transcribing, but also for analyzing and collaborating in discussions and meetings.

4. Descript (for Web and Desktop)

Descript is a robust, multifunctional tool designed to transcribe audio and facilitate the editing of audio and video content, available in both web and desktop versions. This application stands out not only for its ability to accurately transcribe audio into text, but also for its advanced editing features that allow users to create and edit media content intuitively and efficiently.

One of Descript's main features is its user-friendly interface, which offers an intuitive and fluid experience for users, even those with no previous experience in audio editing. The application allows users to transcribe audio into text quickly and accurately, with options for adjusting formatting, correcting errors and adding notes and comments directly into the transcribed text.

In addition to transcribing audio into text, Descript offers a variety of audio and video editing tools, allowing users to cut, merge, add effects and make other edits to their media projects. This makes Descript a popular choice among content creators, podcasters, journalists and audio and video professionals who need a comprehensive solution for creating and editing multimedia content.

5. Trint (for Web)

Trint is an online platform specializing in transcribing audio and video into text, making it a valuable tool for a variety of professionals, including journalists, researchers, transcribers and more. With an approach focused on accuracy and ease of use, Trint simplifies the transcription process and offers advanced features to make analysis and editing of transcribed content more efficient.

One of Trint's distinctive features is its advanced speech recognition technology, which uses advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to transcribe audio and video into text with high precision. This means that users can rely on Trint to produce fast and accurate transcriptions, even in audio with multiple speakers or different accents.

In addition to transcribing audio into text, Trint offers a variety of additional features, including the ability to edit and proofread transcripts directly on the platform. Users can easily correct errors, add markups and notes, and even translate transcripts into other languages, making it a versatile tool for a variety of transcription and content analysis needs.

6. Happy Scribe (for Web)

Happy Scribe is an online platform specializing in transcribing audio and video into text, offering a convenient and effective solution for a variety of transcription needs. With its approach centered on ease of use and accuracy, Happy Scribe simplifies the transcription process and offers additional features to improve users' productivity and efficiency.

One of Happy Scribe's distinctive features is its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, which allows users to easily upload their audio and video files for transcription directly onto the platform. The upload process is quick and simple, and users can monitor the progress of their transcriptions in real time.

In addition to transcribing audio into text, Happy Scribe offers a variety of additional features, including the ability to translate transcripts into other languages, add markup and notes, and even generate automatic subtitles for videos based on the transcribed text. This makes it a versatile tool for a variety of transcription and content production needs.

7. Sonix (for Web)

Sonix is an online platform dedicated to the automatic transcription of audio and video to text, offering an effective and convenient solution for a wide variety of transcription needs. With an intuitive interface and advanced speech recognition features, Sonix simplifies the transcription process and allows users to obtain accurate transcriptions in a matter of minutes.

One of Sonix's outstanding features is its advanced speech recognition technology, which uses sophisticated algorithms to transcribe audio and video with high precision. Even in noisy environments or with multiple speakers, Sonix is able to produce accurate and error-free transcriptions, guaranteeing a reliable experience for users.

In addition to automatic transcription, Sonix offers a variety of additional features to improve users' productivity and efficiency. These include the ability to edit transcripts directly in the platform, add markups and notes, and even translate transcripts into other languages. These additional features make Sonix a versatile tool for a variety of transcription and content production needs.

8. Rev (for Web and Mobile)

Rev is a widely recognized platform offering audio-to-text transcription services, available both on the web and in mobile applications. Noted for its combination of accuracy and convenience, Rev is a popular choice among a variety of users, including journalists, researchers, companies and more.

One of Rev's main features is its flexible approach to transcription, offering both human and automatic transcription services. This means that users can choose between a human transcription, guaranteeing maximum accuracy and quality, or a faster and more cost-effective automatic transcription. This flexibility allows users to adapt the service to their specific needs and budgets.

In addition to audio-to-text transcription, Rev offers a variety of additional services to improve users' productivity and efficiency. This includes translation services for transcripts into other languages, adding subtitles to videos, and even audio-to-text transcription services for video files, making it a complete solution for a variety of transcription and content production needs.

9. Temi (for Web and Mobile)

Temi is a leading platform for automatic audio-to-text transcription, offering a fast, accurate and affordable solution for a variety of transcription needs. Available both on the web and in mobile applications, Temi is widely used by professionals in different sectors, including journalism, research, education and more.

One of Temi's distinctive features is its speedy delivery of transcripts. Users can upload their audio files for transcription directly onto the platform and receive the transcribed text in a matter of minutes. This makes Temi a convenient choice for projects with tight deadlines or for those who need quick transcripts for immediate review.

As well as speed, Temi stands out for its accuracy in transcribing audio into text. The platform uses advanced voice recognition technology to guarantee the accuracy and consistency of transcriptions, even in audio with multiple speakers or different accents. This ensures that users can trust the quality of the transcripts provided by Temi.

10. Speechnotes (for Web and Mobile)

Speechnotes is a free application available for use on the web and on mobile devices, offering a simple and effective solution for transcribing audio into text. This application stands out for its ease of use, intuitive interface and real-time transcription capabilities, making it a popular choice among a variety of users, including students, professionals and anyone who needs to transcribe audio quickly and conveniently.

One of Speechnotes' main features is its real-time transcription capability. Users can simply open the application, start recording audio and watch the transcribed text appear on the screen as they speak. This is especially useful for those who need quick transcripts during meetings, classes or any other situation where capturing information is necessary.

In addition to real-time transcription, Speechnotes offers a variety of additional features to improve users' productivity and accuracy. These include options for editing and formatting the transcript text directly in the application, as well as the ability to easily share transcripts with others via email, text message or on social media platforms.

Easily transcribe audio

Transcribing audio into text can be a time-consuming and tedious task, but with the help of the right applications, this process can become much faster and more efficient. Try out these 10 tools and choose the one that best suits your needs. With the right technology by your side, you'll be able to transcribe audio with ease and precision.

See also: 10 apps to password-protect your apps and ensure more privacy

March 29, 2024